Discovery: A Hybrid Story
Emergence: A Hybrid Story is written by both Shadow32951 and our favorite, underappreciated tool bag Odst grievous. It takes place in 2379. Chapter 1: Predator & Prey Mor'Shul, Independent Salarian Colony, Outside the Milky Way Galaxy. She held her child close to her, hand holding the adolescent's face against her chest. Screams slithered their way into the rubble that the mother and son were crouched under. Salarian colonists outside became quieter and quieter as their numbers were dwindled down to near nothing. The mother closed her eyes as the thudding footsteps of a giant beast neared the rubble. It stopped, standing right outside the broken concrete and metal. A small whimper came from her son as tears ran down his eyes, fear overtaking the young child. The concrete was thrown far away as the pair screamed out in fear, the colossal, demonic figure towering over them. His hand grabbed both at once, tossing them like ragdolls into what remained of the city square. Smaller, animalistic creatures sprinted towards them and piled on top of the squealing pair, claws scraping against the destroyed cityscape as fire and smoke polluted the sky. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ One Day Later. Aurora Ferran's Strategy Room, Coalition Military Headquarters, Coruscant. Jace walked into the conference room and leaned his back against the wall, arms across his jacketed chest as his father's old lightsabers bounced off the metal behind him. He watched as his aunt, Aurora Ferran, spoke to a myriad of holograms arranged in a circle around the room, as well as one uniformed woman seated next to her. A meeting of the 'New Coalition Council' was in session, every factions' new leaders quarreling as to what action they should take next. Mostly corrupt and self-centered power grabbers, Jace thought to himself. Indeed, after the Collapse three years prior, every faction within the Coalition was left without their leaders. While Aurora took the helm of Hellcat Squadran, and by default, the Coalition as a whole, she remade the council in hopes that new leaders would rise up. The moral quality of these men and women was suspect at the best, as both had said previously. As soon as he focused in on their words, the holograms shut down while the uniformed officer turned to leave. As she walked by, she sneered at Jace, looking him up and down. Jace allowed his left hand to slide down from his chest and rest on one of his sidearms, visibly situated on his hip between both one of his father's lightsabers and his own. The girl let out a slight grunt before storming out of the room, door sliding shut behind her. "Ignore Lord Dugalle. She's still upset the capital was moved to Coruscant after Kaven's destruction. She also has been very...open...with her disdain of certain people since the accusations arose," Aurora said, walking towards her nephew, Jedi robes flowing. Jace's hands dropped to his sides in relaxation, knowing it was only him and his family. "You mean the accusations that she is a xenophobic, power-user hating shrew?" Aurora let a sorrowful smile cross her lips, but eventually nodded. "I am amazed you let her on the Council." "It wasn't my decision, you know that. She was the highest ranking officer left in the UNSC after the Collapse, they voted her into command. Democracy isn't a pick and choose thing, Jace," she said, resting her hand on his shoulder. Jace smiled at the comforting touch, something she had seemed to have mastered over her many years of service. "Besides, she chose a wonderful second-in-command," Aurora continued, walking back towards the center of the room as Jace followed her. "Vice Admiral Normanson is head of both Special Operations and Research and Development, and she is a fine young woman. My best ally within the UNSC." "I know, auntie. Anything useful pop up during the meeting?" Jace asked, leaning on one of the consoles surrounding the room's large holomap. "Well, the Sangheili Kaidon and the Covenant seem to have pledged their full support to us, while the Turian Hierarchy seems to be warming up quickly. However, most factions still seem split about where their loyalties lay. The only thing everyone agrees on is dealing with the pirate and warlord threats popping up around the border regions. Sadly, they all only wish to protect their own instead of having a coordinated strike and wiping them all out," Aurora explained, playing with a small object that Jace could not recognize between her fingers. "I know. I've spent more time with my squad on missions the last three years than I have at home on Hesperidium," Jace responded. "And I fully apologize for that, Jace. But your team is untouchable, your record is spotless. I need you, the universe needs you." "Okay, okay, there's no need for the pep talk, Aunt Rorii. Its what we do," Jace joked, putting his hands up in mock surrender. Aurora smiled back at him before her expression returned to that of a general preparing their forces for a mission. It was exactly what was happening. "I'm assuming you saw the reports before they got sent to Intelligence, yeah?" Aurora said, bringing up the galaxy map within the room. "The Salarian colony attack, yeah. What do you got for me?" Jace asked. "Well, apparently that was the only colony attack that was able to get a signal out. The Salarian Dalatrass checked, and three of their independent colonies have been unresponsive in the last week. A handful of worlds from other species as well." "And since these worlds are out of Coalition control and colonizing the new Collapsed Regions, you want Zeta to go check it out, yeah?" "No. A...contact of mine has just checked in after a few years. He's apparently been exploring and mapping that area of space for a few months. I want you to meet him and see what he knows. After that, we will decide what to do from there. He'll meet you on Zonju V, it is the closest you can get to the colonies before leaving the galaxy," Aurora warned, knowing the small, intergalactic voids after the Collapse were filled with terrors too numerous to list. "Yes ma'am. We'll leave immediately," Jace said, giving her a nod and a small hug before leaving the conference room. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Two Days Later. Elik's Cantina, Zonju V, Outer Rim. The door slid shut behind him, trapping the cantina's atmosphere within the small, crowded building. Loud, thumping music played on repeat, the reverberations felt in your heart. The scent of human waste hit his nostrils, being masked only by the fumes coming off of the thousands of alcoholic bottles scattered around. His eyes glanced around the room, scanning each of the bar's inhabitants until they finally locked in on their target. He walked forward, a black armored figure drawing the glares of thugs, prostitutes, and destitute prospectors. Sitting alone at a corner booth, a man sat with a small drink in his hand, the dim lighting barely reflecting off of his red and white battle armor. The man in black slid into the seat across from him, crossing his hands on the table and staring at the incumbent's full glass. "Kind of hard to drink with a helmet on, don't you agree?" asked the black clad soldier. His counterpart failed to even look up at him. "I quit drinking years ago, kid." "Then why have the cup?" "Because, those gangsters at your ten o'clock are waiting until I'm done my drink before they try and collect their bounty on me." His eyes wandered over to the armored gang members, his gaze protected by the pure black visor on his helmet. Four people; three aliens and a human, fidgeted anxiously in their seats, occasionally glancing over towards their table. Rifles and sidearms laid at their sides or within holsters, obviously not there for simply show. "Want me to dispatch them for you so we can continue on with our business?" "No, no. They're about to get bored and come over here anyway. Besides, as shitty as this place is, there are some less crappy people here. Don't want to ruin their days, too." The shattering of a bottle on the floor drew gazes back over toward the gangsters, finally rearing up from their seats and trudging towards the pair, weapons in hand. Both soldiers remained seated, allowing them closer. "Alright, we've waited long enough! We want to get our cash from you, now!" A reptilian alien reached out towards the red and white armored shoulder, only just landing on the armor before the seated man retaliated. The alcohol flew from the cup into the alien's eyes, a long hiss escaping his lips as the glass shattered against the wall. Half of the cup landed on the floor, the other half slashed through the lizard's neck like a knife before the dying corpse was pushed backwards into the other three gang members. "We'll discuss our business on your ship. Now move, I'm too old to be fighting in a bar." The dark armored soldier was pushed out of the bar, the trio of surviving mercenaries attempting to gather themselves off of the ground as the two Mandalorians sprinted into the city streets. "This way, if you can keep up," beckoned the man in black, the second figure a step slower. "I'm right here, ass," he responded. Blaster bolts fired by their heads as the mercenaries exited the bar and began chasing the pair. The two groups zigged and zagged through the narrow, bleak streets, as shots either whizzed by the Mandalorians or were absorbed by their powerful armor. The mercenaries stopped firing as they got to within feet of the renegade pair, nearly able to grab them as they all made a sharp left turn. "Duck old timer!" yelled the one Mandalorian. The pair both slid across the dirt on their knees, kicking up dust as red and blue streaks flashed above their heads. They slid to a stop, turning back to see a head tumble to the ground. A Sangheili stood there, red energy sword fresh off of a cut through one man's neck, his blue blade buried into another's chest. He ripped both blades back to his sides, the two deceased bodies dropping to the ground. The final mercenary stood there, shaking in horror as three armored Spartans casually walked out behind his targets, their blue, brown, and pink armors towering above him. "Infidel. Run, human, while there is still mercy to be given," the Sangheili said, his damaged mandibles bearing their dagger-like teeth. The mercenary's gun dropped to the ground as he turned and scampered away, darting into the maze of walkways from which he had come from. "Good kills, Ror." Jace slid off his black helmet, getting himself up from the dust. "Vanessa, you got eyes on him?" "No worries, Jace. My girl's a pro," Katalena said, staring through a rangefinder. She knelt on a rooftop six stories above the rest of Zeta Wing, Vanessa laying beside her, face buried in her scope. Vanessa watched the fleeing mercenary run through the overbuilt pathways, stalking him. In an instant, she jerked her aim far to the left of him and fired, waiting as her bullet traveled towards its target. It ripped through a thin sheet of metal just as the mercenary disappeared from sight. She waited, smiling to herself. Moments later, a limp body tumbled down a stairway into sight, the mercenary's blood streaming from his helmet. "Clean kill," Vanessa said. "Kat, I got a bullseye!" she beamed, removing her helmet and smiling up at Katalena with childlike excitement. Just as an older sister would, Katalena smiled back and rubbed Vanessa's shoulder, proud of the younger woman. "Good job, everyone," Jace said, looking around. "I assume this is our informant?" Samantha asked, motioning towards the multi-colored Mandalorian next to Jace. "Yeah, he is. This is Ryan. We're kind of family." ---- Two Days Later. Morrigan's Apartment, Coruscant. Morri stepped out of her portal and landed in her apartment. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed a male Chiss and a male Twi'lek staring at her in amazement. Morri could hardly blame them, she had just opened a portal in the middle of the street level of Coruscant and stepped into what looked to be a more well off apartment. They stared at her over their lit, but now ignored death-sticks with wide eyes. A small smile flickered to her face at the absurdity of the situation, and she shrugged, gave them a wink, and closed the portal. Immediately the quiet of the apartment filled her ears. She could still hear the sound of speeders rushing by outside the window, but no longer was the din of the sidewalk and the cacophony of voices that accompanied it surrounding her. After a moment, she tossed her satchel onto one of the couches and carried the small box of food rations she'd brought with her over to the fridge. Morri pushed the box through the holo-door and instinctively shuddered as the chill hit her arm as it passed through the hologram. Well. She thought, pulling her arm back out. That should last us the month. It wasn't hard to get the rations, at least for her. The overcrowding in the streets that had amassed over the last couple of years resulted in the need for rationing, and for civilians like her, she was caught up in the system. Three boxes of the carb rations, four of the protein, four of the fat rations, four of-'' She paused and glanced back towards the carb rations in the fridge. "Why are there only three of you?" Morri murmured. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, taking in the sounds of the apartment around her. The hum of the air conditioning, the noise outside, R1 the cleaning droid in the bathroom, whispered voices from down the hall. "Ah." Morri said, shaking her head. "Gil's here." She shook her head and walked down the hall, not really bothering to keep her footsteps quiet. She reached her daughter's door and knocked twice. "Yeah?" Arya's voice rang out, a little louder than normal. Morri could still hear the scrambling, and couldn't help but smirk. "Tell Gilad he has about twenty seconds before I come in and ask him to pay me for the food he's been eating." Morri said, then leaned on the wall and counted in her head, listening to a brief whispered argument inside the bedroom. Then, nineteen seconds in, the door opened, and both Arya and Gilad stepped out, sheepish expressions on their faces. Morri cocked an eyebrow at them and held a hand out towards teenage boy. He stared briefly then reached into his pockets and pulled out a credit chit, dropping it into her hands. She waited, and he stared at her again, his eyes widening slightly. Arya swatted him on the arm gestured with her head to Morri's hand. A glare forming on his face, he placed another, larger chit in Morri's hand. "Sorry, ma'am." He grumbled. "Ma'am?" Morri said, smirking. "Hilarious attempt, but after visiting your neighborhood today you're definitely not coming back." Gilad's eyes widened and Arya frowned, looking from her mother to the boy beside her. "Yeah...turns out he's been lying to us both about being from Level 2142. He's actually the son of some big shot gang leader down on 1313, who frequently intimidates refugees into giving up their rations, not an outer rim refugee just looking to make it in the struggles of life." "Are you fucking kidding me?" Arya said, turning and staring at Gilad. He didn't meet her gaze, instead looking straight at Morri, eyes burning with both anger and shock. "Run to your mother, because your dad's getting arrested." Morri said, snapping her fingers. A portal closed beneath the boy and he fell through it, landing sideways on the sidewalk down at his home level of Coruscant. She closed the portal and turned her gaze to Arya. "Don't say it." Arya said, running a hand through her fiery red hair. "I get it, I should have been more responsible, I should have been careful, I should have done better, I get it. You don't have to say it." "I wasn't gonna say that, Arya." Morri said, pushing herself off the wall and moving so she was in front of her daughter. "What I was gonna say was are you alright?" Arya blinked once, then hung her head, staring holes into the floor. She let out a long sigh, and Morri had heard enough. She pulled Arya forward into an embrace, which Arya eventually returned, if feebly. "Let's take a dating break for a while, yeah?" The young hybrid nodded into Morri's shoulder. They stood there for a long moment, before Arya pulled away, shaking her head. "You should have let me punch him." She said. "With your strength? You'd have taken his head off." Morri said. "Besides, we have evening plans to get to." "I don't know if I have going out tonight in my system, really." Arya said, looking at the floor again. "You sure? You can get to tell Auntie Kata all about how you want to kill your ex." Morri said, and Arya's head shot up, her eyes widening. Morri nodded. A grin crossed Arya's face and her hands shot up and her fingers interlocked in front of her chin. "Get your stuff, we have a cab to catch to get to the landing pad." Arya nodded and rushed into her room. Morri smiled and shook her head before heading into her room to put the rest of her things away. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ''Thirty Minutes Later. Coalition Supply Dock 11-18C, Upper Levels, Coruscant. The pair sat on a large ammo crate, watching the speeders fly by as dock workers scurried around them. Arya stared at the sheer numbers of them, just as she usually did. The population on Coruscant's upper levels were so vastly different from those back on Mandalore that sometimes she still had moments where she would become as mesmerized as when she was a child. Morrigan looked upwards and smiled, elbowing here daughter. She pointed into the sky, a gray dropship quickly descending downwards. The ship nearly the landing pad and swung around, settling onto the platform. Morrigan and Arya stood up and walked halfway to the shuttle before its ramp lowered, allowing Katalena and Wolf to stroll out into the Coruscanti air. Katalena's face lit up as she saw the pair up ahead of her. "Way to make it back in one piece," Morrigan jabbed as she hugged Katalena. "Yeah, well, it wasn't really worth the time for everyone to go out there. Do you know how much sleep I could have caught up on?" Katalena joked back, switching her embrace to Arya. "You getting into plenty of trouble lately?" "She wouldn't let me beat up a boy...," Arya pouted, glaring over at Morrigan. Katalena chuckled at the sight. "Well of course. You would have taken his head off." "That's what she said!" Morrigan and Katalena shared a knowing gaze, exchanging smiles in the process before Morrigan's eyes drifted back to the ship. She saw Jace walk off, black helmet held at his side while being flanked by another Mandalorian, this one in white and red with his helmet securely placed upon his head. Once the pair was off of the ramp, it retreated back into the dropship and lifted into the air, accelerating back into the city's traffic. "I take it that is your informant? He's Mandalorian...small universe," Morrigan said, crossing her arms. Katalena felt her stomach drop down past the deepest levels of Coruscant's underbelly, her throat suddenly drying up. "Uhm, yeah. Much, much smaller than you might think," she said, awkwardly strolling back behind the pair, drawing a questioning look from the other two girls. "Nice to see you," Jace said, giving Morrigan a light hug and ruffling Arya's hair, much to her dismay. "Even you, kid." "I'm seriously going to fight you one day and beat you for every time you've ever done that," Arya groaned, throwing up her fists in a mock fighting stance. Jace smiled and rolled his eyes, ignoring the threat. "Well, its always nice to see another Mando, especially around these parts. We usually don't really get into the Core too much. I'm Morrigan, and this is my daughter, Arya," Morrigan said, holding out a hand towards Jace's counterpart. As speeders raced in the background and workers shoved crates around at lightning quick speeds, the sound of Jace swallowing was still audible. "Ahem, uh Morri? I don't think an introduction will really be needed," Jace said. Her vision glanced between him and the second figure, stopping on him as his hands raised the helmet off of his head. The unarmored view revealed pure white stubble crossing the man's jawline and noticeable scars running up the side of his face, ending only once they reached the white and gray hair slicked back upon his head. "Hello, Mor'ika," Ryan said, giving a small smirk to his daughter. Morri blinked twice, her mouth hanging open for a moment. She stood frozen, words failing her. Arya crossed the distance and immediately threw her arms around her grandfather. "Ry'buir, you're alive." She said, pulling back to look at him. "We looked for you, we tried to find you." "Where were you?" Morri said, her voice cracking slightly. Arya stepped aside and let her mother approach. "I never stopped keeping an ear out but I couldn't find you. Where were you?" Ryan sighed and hung his head for a moment. "The house caved in during the quakes, as well as most of the area. Got stuck in the basement at the bottom of a crater. Found everyone else dead while I was digging my way out. By the time I hit the surface, most of the evacuations were over and most of the cities had gone to shit. Weren't many people around at that point, so I just started running." He said. Morri nodded slowly and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, dad." She said. "I'm sorry we didn't wait longer." "It's alright, Mor'ika." He said. "It isn't." She said, reaching up and wiping one of her eyes. "I left you behind, that's not alright." She crossed her arms and stared a hole into the landing pad. Arya lifted an arm to reach out to her mother, but stopped as she saw Ryan doing the same. She backed up a few steps and watched as, slowly, Ryan gently put his hands on Morri's shoulders to begin to pull her into an embrace. As he did, Morri's shoulders began to shake and her eyes began to water. She rested her forehead on the armored shoulder of her father and, eventually, feebly wrapped her arms around him. Arya let out a long sigh and looked over her shoulder at Kata and Jace, who were watching from the side. "Man. I am really awkward about family moments." Kata whispered, getting an eyeroll from Jace and small smile from Arya. Chapter 2: The Tracker Forty-five Minutes Later. Aurora Ferran's Strategy Room, Coalition Military Headquarters, Coruscant. Katalena sat on the floor, rubbing her thumbs together to pass the time as they waited. She looked up, seeing Jace and Ryan both leaning against the wall, eerily similar to one another. Blue light reflected off of both them and Wolf, laying down next to the pair, as it shown from the holograms within Aurora's strategy room. She knew that they had arrived a couple minutes early, so the five minute wait thus far was nothing more than a slight inconvenience. Watching her adoptive aunt behind the sound proof glass, the women seemed both exhausted and infuriated simultaneously. Katalena felt for her. She also felt for Morrigan and Arya. Their world, finally starting to become normal after the Collapse, had once again been shaken to its core. It was only a few emotional minutes together on the landing pad, but she hoped that the time those two spent with their newly found elder was enough for now. Both Morrigan and her daughter looked emotionally drained after those few moments, at least enough to pass on any invitation for a ride along back to the Coalition's new military headquarters. She couldn't blame them, though. Family matters were never her strong suit, anyway. Her mind was brought back from its innermost thoughts as the room darkened swiftly. Looking up, the holograms had disappeared, leaving a void in their wake. The overhead lights powered on, granting vision once again to all present. The glass separating Aurora from her and the others parted, the general walking towards them. Her head stayed low, fingers massaging the frustrated bags underneath her eyes. "I despise politics...," she muttered, stepping out of her main room to meet the group. "I'm impressed, they finally have somebody smart running this place," Ryan said, embracing his granddaughter closely. "Its nice to have you back," Aurora said into his chest, letting go. "But, I suppose the time for all this will be later. Jace, you guys pick him up okay?" "I mean, I didn't hit a single person." "Uh huh...how many dead?" "Three confirmed, one probably," Jace responded, shrugging as the four walked into Aurora's command center. "What did the council piss you off with today?" "Just...lack of resources to do what we need. Not enough forces to protect the core or scare off anyone watching in this new mega-galaxy, not enough ships to strike out at the pirate havens surrounding our borders. Civilian populations are beginning to riot on some worlds. If this keeps up, we'll have to put down rebellions soon enough," Aurora explained, the galaxy exploding from out of the ceiling in a flash of blue, holographic light. Red and green lights began flooding the map, highlighting combat situations, political hot spots, and troop movements throughout Coalition space. Jace studied them all, knowing that the red far greater than a few days earlier. "So I assume we aren't getting any backup while we go colony hunting?" Katalena asked. Aurora shook her head. "You guys never get backup anyway. Besides, these colonies aren't even under our control, they're free worlds. This would simply be a good faith expedition." Ryan walked up to the computer terminal and plugged in a small data drive, the conversation behind him quieting as they all watched the map. The galaxy shrunk in half and slid over, allowing new, unmapped star systems to begin taking shape next to the galactic south. Quickly, a large web of starways were projected, standing wide and tall beyond the tip of the galaxy, eclipsing it. "Woah...you have been busy," Aurora said, staring at the maze. "Everything within these white borders are safe to travel, relatively speaking. Being there won't kill you. But the majority of this, the black? Impassable. Black holes, white holes, pocket dimensions, plasma storms, anti-matter bubbles. Faster-than-light travel is possible, but stops are frequent. Plus, some of the dimensional areas let out gravity bursts, as I call them. If something enters or leaves them, the gravity of everything within there gets opened to those nearby. Its like a gravity well generator, but the affects last for closer to a month," Ryan explained, showing every needed spot within his mapped areas. "Your Salarian friends colonized what, 4 worlds? They were in these spots," Ryan said, four purple lights dropping onto the map, one near the entrance to the maze, the other three farther within it. "They should have all died on their ships, honestly. They had no clue what they were doing when they went into this place and got lucky. Somehow these three made it into the maze alive and found places to live. Your most recent disappearance was here, near the start of it all." "So chances are, the other three colonies have had the same fate?" Katalena asked. "How am I supposed to know that? I don't know, you guys have to get out there and check for yourselves. Communications get blocked by all of the crap out there," Ryan replied. "Alright, alright. We'll leave in a day once the ship and supplies are ready," Jace said as Aurora placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'll try and smuggle you anything I can, alright? Other than that, Ry'buir ''will help you guys out there," she said, making Ryan's head shoot up. "Wait, I'm actually going on this mission? Shhhh...," he complained, trailing off. ---- ''Later that Day. Morrigan's Apartment, Coruscant. The apartment door opened and in seconds Morri had pulled Kata into a hug. "Glad to finally have me alone, huh?" Kata said, returning the embrace. "Always." Morri said, rolling her eyes. "C'mon in." The two entered the apartment, quiet, save for the music coming from Arya's room. The night sky outside the windows illuminated by the passing lights of speeders and the flashing neon of holo-signs. Kata flopped down on the couch and let out a sigh. "I know that sigh." Morri said. "What's going on?" "You're gonna hate this." Kata said. "Another mission, day after tomorrow." "Christ, already?" Morri said, opening a portal to the kitchen cabinet. She reached through the portal and opened the cabinet, fishing around inside for something. "Where are you going?" "Salarian colony went dark." Kata said. "And I mean dark. Entirely AWOL. We're headed out to investigate. Downside, it's on the edges of new space." "New space?" Morri said. "You mean, like, new locations brought by the collapse?" Kata nodded and Morri's eyes widened. She pulled a vodka bottle out of the cabinet and through the portal. "Who is headed out?" "Usual suspects and-" Kata stopped mid-sentence, shook her head, and sighed. "Your dad is coming along." Morri's eyes widened, and she opened the bottle and immediately downed a shot from it. "He's going away already?" Morri said. "Jesus, he just showed back up." "I know." Kata said, taking the bottle from her and downing a swig of her own. "You alright?" "I don't really know." Morri said. "It's a mix of worry and frustration and sadness." "I know." Kata nodded, handing Morri the bottle back. Morri downed a much longer shot from the bottle and shook her head. "It's bad enough that you guys are going out to the front all the time. I know it's you, but that's still terrifying." Morri said. Kata nodded, putting an arm around her. "I'll keep us safe, Morri." Kata said. "I will." "I know you'll try." Morri said. Kata nodded and grabbed the vodka bottle from her to drink from herself. They sat in silence for a long moment before Kata found something to say. "Want to take Arya to the casinos up on Hesperidium tomorrow while I'm here?" "Yes." Morri said. "She will definitely want to and I will need to drink tomorrow." "It's a plan, let's do it." Kata said. The two were rapidly lost in the talks of the resort moon, so engrossed in the topic that they didn't notice the music from Arya's room had long since stopped. ---- One Day Later. Morrigan's Apartment, Coruscant. "Legally, I'm supposed to tell you that you are not allowed to punch people in the face for catcalling." Kata said as they stepped into the entrance of the apartment. "But, to be honest, I don't really care, Arya, that was awesome." Morri burst out laughing as the she punched in the passcode to open the door. Arya beamed. "Glad you approve." The young hybrid said. "Sorry about getting us thrown out, your odds were looking good on winning the sabacc game." "Eh. It happens." Kata said. "Not like I'll be here on Coruscant to do much with anything I win." "You stay safe, okay?" Arya said. "Try not to be too much of a hero." "Please, you know I'm the villain." Kata said, winking at Arya. "Morri, 'mere." Morri obeyed and pulled Kata into a tight hug. "I'll stay safe, I'll take care of everyone while we're away, don't worry." "We know." Morri said, letting Kata go long enough to hug Arya goodbye. "Don't have too much fun without me, alright?" Kata said. "No promises." Arya said. "I'll have some stories for you when you get back." "Looking forward to them." Kata said. "We'll be back before you know it, don't worry." Kata smiled at both of them, and like that, the door closed, separating them again. Arya turned and saw her mother sitting down on the couch, having kicked her boots across the room and having tossed her jacket on the floor. "Jeez, did the Tihaar hit you that hard?" Arya said. She did follow in her mother's footsteps, however, and kicked her own boots off as well. "Remind me to never wear heels again." "I will." Morri said. "When I get back." Arya frowned and walked over to sit in front of Morri. "What do you mean?" "I'm...I'm going with them." Morri said. Arya blinked. "I have to. I can't stay behind while they're out risking their lives anymore. I have to help them this time." Morri hung her head and stared at the floor. "Does...do they know?" Arya asked. "No. I'm showing up tomorrow at noon before they leave and walking on the ship." Morri said. "I'm sorry, Ary'ika. I just can't watch them go and never know if they're coming back anymore." "Mo'buir." Arya said. "It's okay. I get it." Morri looked up at her daughter, and saw her face was surprisingly even, and her voice just as calm. "Really, I understand." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I do." Arya said. "You're kinda famous for being a super badass, mom. You're gonna be safe, I know you will. You and Kata together again? Erachi help anyone who gets in your way." "I love you, Ary'ika." Morri said, standing up to hug her daughter. "I'll be careful, I promise I will." "I know you will." Arya said. Morri began giving a rundown on how to care for the apartment while she was away, a long, rambling discussion that went long into the night before Morri went to sleep. Arya returned to her room and sat down on her bed. She let out a long sigh before glancing at her closet. The door hung slightly open, the ceiling light reflecting off the visor of her helmet. ---- Noon, the Next Day. Coalition Supply Dock 11-18C, Upper Levels, Coruscant. It was remarkable to Kata how the noonday sun of Coruscant was still somehow incredibly cool. Maybe it was the altitude, maybe it was the rampant technology of the planet all over the place. She shrugged the thought away as a pair of technicians hurried past her and up the loading ramp. She turned her gaze over to Jace and Ryan, who were standing together, discussing the technicians that had run past her. "What's in the green vat?" Ryan asked. "Something special." Jace. "Cryptic." Kata said, walking over. "You're a drama queen, sweetheart." Jace opened his mouth to reply in kind, when a brief flash of purple light accompanied by the sounds of shouts filled the area. The shouts were immediately cut off as Morri closed her portal and walked towards them. She was clad in her full black Mandalorian armor, the armor of her own mother. The helmet as held in her left hand, her right clasped the straps of a supply bag as she approached. "When're we leaving?" She asked as she drew near. "We?" Jace said. Ryan and Kata stared, eyes wide, at her, Kata briefly glancing between the other three. "Yup. Where should I bunk down?" Morri said, unblinking. "Well," Jace smirked. "I'll find you somewhere dry at least." "You mean I won't have to sleep in the showers? Sweet." Morri said. "I'll go introduce myself to the crew and get comms running in my helmet." "I'll make sure Ror gets you cleared." Jace said, backing up a few steps, Kata quickly following him. "I love that woman." Kata whispered to Jace as they headed towards the loading bridge, leaving Morri alone with her father. "You're starting to look like your mother." Ryan said. "Guess it had to happen eventually." Morri said, a small, sad smile flashing across her face. "No, no...I mean you carry yourself the same. You look strong. Confident." He said. "You're similar, but you have grown into your own person, maybe even greater than she. Definitely better than me. She would be extremely proud of you, Mor'ika." Morri looked at the ground for a second, smiling. "Well, she'd probably yell at me about letting my seventeen year old have the apartment to herself while we're away." Morri said. "Please, she'll get into her antics whether you're here or not." Ryan said. "She's your daughter after all." "That is true." Morri laughed. "Odds are there's a glitter bomb in this bag that I don't know about, so keep careful." "Just know that you're accountable for cleaning anything it gets on, Private Gustafsson." Ryan said. "Trust me, I am very aware." Morri laughed and began walking in the direction of the loading ramp. He followed her, and soon after the ship began to take off, cleared of personnel on the landing pad. Save one. As the ship began to take off, and the landing gear began to retract, a single figure clambered out from under the floating pad, using a jetpack to get on top of it. The armored figure jumped from the pad, fifteen meters up, and grabbed the gear. The figure flipped around on it and slipped inside the ship as it took off and headed up into space. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Three Days Later. 5th Level Captain's Quarters, ''Jericho. Jace felt himself tossing around in his sleep. ''His body was burning. The glow of the portal vanished as the sound of crunching metal filled his ears. A body laid on the burning ground, fresh blood covering the Mandalorian ''bes'kar. ''The burning stopped, but an agonizing scream echoed throughout the battlefield as a woman let out a blood curdling howl. His eyes shot open and his body jolted upwards, breathing heavily as the blanket fell from his chest. He held a hand to his head, steadying himself while he caught his breath. The bedroom was mostly dark, a few faint glows giving just enough illumination to see; the void of hyperspace radiating from the window above the bed, blinking lights from the consoles and screens spread around, and a low, red light shining from behind him. Jace looked back, seeing the red tendrils of power crawl their way back into Katalena's fingertips. "You were having a nightmare. I just started to try and calm you down when you woke up," she said. "Everything alright?" "Like you said, just a bad dream." "You sure? I really do enjoy my sleep at night," Katalena joked as she sat up, sliding forward next to him. Jace smiled, wondering how she always managed to sound concerned while also defusing any tension. She lowered her head onto his shoulder, pulling herself close to him. "Yeah...yeah, I'll be alright," Jace responded, placing his arm around her. Katalena looked up at him, watching his eyes as he spoke. Satisfied, she leaned up and kissed him, placing her arm on his chest and gently lowering the pair back down into bed. "Just relax, hun. Nobody will dare attack a big, strong man like you while I'm protecting him." Jace nodded, his smile slowly disappearing while Katalena rested her head on his clavicle. She cuddled up close to him, allowing his eyes to droop and shut once again. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ The Next Day. 4th Level Command Deck, ''Jericho. His footsteps' echo was lost among the bustling bridge, crew running to their stations. His bodysuit flexed with his muscles as he walked, stopping next to the other two officers on the bridge. "Status, Katlyn?" Jace asked, looking towards his grandfather. "General." Ryan glared questioningly at the title. "Stop that," he said, crossing his arms and looking physically uncomfortable. The pair heard a chuckle from the woman sitting in front of them. "I think its suiting," Katlyn joked. Ryan rolled his eyes, shifting his weight between his feet. "We are about to exit hyperspace at the entrance of the intergalactic maze. There should be a long range communication satellite that connects the galaxy to the colonies. We should see it in 3...2...1..." Hyperspace began to slow, re-materializing into real space. A voice screamed out as hands grabbed for the nearest solid object. "Hard to port!" Debris bounced off of the ''Jericho's ''shields, the blue impacts quickly dissipating as the ship turned out of the small field. While hearts settled and the ship redirected course, glances were thrown around every which way. "What was that?" Jace asked, straightening up. "The comm satellite. Looks like its been destroyed," Ryan answered, looking at debris through the bridge's viewscreen. "Not a good sign." "Scanners are clear, we're alone out here. Whatever destroyed this is either long gone, or really good at hiding," Katlyn said, frantically managing three separate consoles. "Well, we know why everything in there went dark at least," Jace quipped. "Dropping a comm buoy. If we're going in there, we need to be able to talk to home," Katlyn spoke as she typed. On the ship's underside, a small transmitter released from the vessel, strong enough to reach back to the edge of civilized space. Ryan nodded in approval before looking back at his great-grandson. "Time to move on. We have another day of travel before we reach the first colony." "You don't waste any time," Jace responded. "And neither do whatever knocked out that satellite. I know your record, and I know that you want to get there to grab up anyone still alive more than anything. Want to keep arguing?" Jace blinked at the small, impromptu speech, before turning back to Katlyn and the rest of the bridge crew. "You heard him, clear the debris field and jump to lightspeed!" The crew quickly returned to their duties, and within moments, the ''Jericho ''returned to hyperspace, speeding towards the likely victimized colony. ---- ''One Hour Later. 3rd Level Crew Deck, ''Jericho. "So, this is the crew deck." Kata said, stepping off of the elevator and gesturing around the hall. Morri followed her off and they stepped past the dividing wall in the middle of the room and into the mess area. A group of eleven crewman snapped to attention as they came into view, and quickly relaxed as Kata waved a hand at them. "Mind controlling the crew?" Morri said, raising an eyebrow. "No, they just know I don't care if they treat me like someone of rank." Kata said. "Office to the left is Ror's, medical is to the right if you need either of them. There's sleeping rooms are on either side of the elevator, as are the washrooms. Observation decks are on both sides of the ship, the one on the right is like a crew lounge with a small bar." Kata paused and shook her head. "Emphasis on small." "I mean, it is me. I have a small stock of my own." Morri said. "That's just for you and me to know, though." "Understood." Kata smirked. Morri looked past her and gestured with her head down to the end of the room, where a single door remained closed. "That? That's just the maintenance area for the comms relay." "It'll do." Morri said and started walking towards it. Kata rolled her eyes and followed her. Kata unlocked the door and they stepped inside. In the middle of the room was a large, quietly vibrating piece of machinery that was embedded in the floor. There were panels to either side and a workbench to the left. Morri nodded and dropped her bag on the floor. Kata shook her head and closed the door behind them. "Mind convincing the regulations people that this isn't stupid?" Morri said. "I mean, I'll just sic Jace on them." Kata said. Morri smirked and knelt down to start unzipping the bag. She pulled out a series of metal rods and fabric lines and began assembling them. Kata rolled her eyes and flicked a hand through the air. The materials began to float, surrounded by a field of red energy, and they came together to the right of the machinery, forming a simple hammock. "You planned this, didn't you?" "A room alone, like I grew used to in my years as a civilian?" Morri said. "Hell yeah I did." "God I am glad you're coming." Kata smiled. "I do like everyone here, but I missed having my main girl around." "Missed you too." Morri said, smiling. She knelt beside the bag again and continued to unpack items. A rack for her weapons and armor, a pillow, what Kata estimated to be three weeks worth of rations, and a large bottle of something she recognized as Ne'tra gal. "You still have that?" Kata said. "I bought about seven after that weekend at the Oyu'baat." Morri said. "This is the last one. Figured this would be a good way to kill it." "Let's share this one with the others, I don't want a repeat of that weekend." Kata said. "Lame. I do." Morri smirked and began taking her armor off. "Well, I will be here if anyone needs me. If you or anyone wants to visit, ping me on the comm." She held up the comm link Ror had situated her with earlier. "Reminds me." Kata said and help up her own commlink and punched in a number. "Hey kitten, can you do me a quick favor?" "For you, of course!" Vanessa's voice said, ringing through audibly enough for Morri to hear. "Morri has volunteered to take over maintenance on the comm relays, can you update the duties to reflect that?" Kata said, winking at Morri who rolled her eyes. "Okie dokie, not a problem." Vanessa said. "She says hi, by the way!" Morri said. "You two are adorable." Vanessa laughed. "When we inevitably have girls night I'll let you know, kitten." Kata said. "Thanks." "Anytime, Kat." Vanessa said. Kata hung the call up and shrugged as Morri raised an eyebrow. "Anything else I should know about with my new job?" Morri said. "Call me or Jace if you want to visit us in the captain's quarters." Kata said. "If we aren't busy we'll let you up." "Aren't busy." Morri said, shaking her head. "Knowing you too you'll be busy frequently." "And knowing you you'll find someone in the crew to keep you busy too." Kata said, winking. Morri's jaw dropped and she grabbed her heart in mock indignation. "How did you know that's why I came here all along?" Morri said. Kata shrugged. "Begone, psychic witch, and leave me to my seductive planning." "Good luck." Kata cackled. "I expect a detailed mission report." "Yes ma'am." Morri said, laughing as Kata turned to leave the room. The door closed behind her and she kept walking. ''Thunk. She paused and looked behind her. The door was still and the room was silent, save for the sound of the ship's crew eating. She glanced at the floor, and then at the ceiling. Probably just the vents shifting. Kata shook her head and resumed her walk. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Twenty Hours Later. Crew Quarters 2, 3rd Level Crew Deck, ''Jericho. Shepard stared at the bunk above him, stroking Vanessa's hair as they laid on their too-small bed. His mind wandered. It wandered, just as it did before every mission. He looked down, watching as Vanessa's head raised and lowered on his chest, the pair breathing in sync. "Hey Nes, do you...do you ever think about the people who live where we go?" Shepard asked, grabbing his girlfriend's attention. "Those aren't nice thoughts, so no, not really," she replied. As silence hung over them, she looked up at him, his eyes blank. "I mean, I try not to. Of course they always sneak in there every now and then, but I try not to think about it," she elaborated. "Why not?" he asked. "Well, because like right now, we can't really do much about it. We are on our way, but we can't do anything until we get there. And when we do get there, you see how I am; I focus in like crazy. If I do my job the best I can, than I know I am helping people." "I just feel like we can always do more, you know?" "I know, sweetie. But we're just commandos, we can't really pull out a bunch of people when we are sneaking around. Besides, we know Jace's Aunt Rorii does all she can to send relief ships once we make somewhere safer," Vanessa said, propping herself up on her elbow. "Yeah, General Ferran does try her best. But still...we're going to a planet with millions on it that just went dark. We can't help even a fraction of them...," Shepard sighed, dropping his head back onto his pillow. "That isn't a good train of thought to hop on, Shep. Try thinking of the people we do help, instead." "I guess it just isn't really enough-" Shepard's words were cut off by the ship's alarm beginning to blare, followed shortly by Katlyn's voice over the intercom. "All crew, report to your stations. Time on target, four minutes." "Time to go, love. Remember, happy thoughts and focus," Vanessa said as the pair slid out of the bunk. She stood on her toes and kissed him before turning and starting her jog to the armory to collect her gear. Shepard closed his eyes and nodded, letting out a long breath before running behind her. A few minutes later, a battle-ready Jace stood on the bridge, staring out into the blue void with his helmet in hand. The sound of Wolf's tail slowly sliding back and forth across the floor filled the area. The crew were silent, nerves always tensing before a mission officially began. Katlyn sat in the captain's chair, typing away at the console in front of her as screens flashed by her eyes. Leaning on the back of her seat, Ryan watch the data flow across the screen from over her shoulder. Jace glanced down. Blackness glared back at him, the thin, T-shaped visor of Ryan's helmet sitting on the floor underneath the old general's foot. The chirping of his comlink brought Jace's mind back, clicking the forearm mounted communicator on. "Jace, the shuttle's prepped and ready to go. Shep and Kitten just settled in, so we'll launch as soon as we drop out of hyperspace," Katalena said, sounding more robotic over the small speaker. "Affirmative. I'll meet you guys down there," Jace said. He turned and looked down at Wolf, the robot staring back up at him. "Is my fighter ready for launch?" "Checking systems...," Wolf said, the LED eyes quickly blinking while going through the ship's computer network. Jace stood there, appreciative of his loyal companion. The near-sentient A.I. had served Jace's father for years before being unceremoniously 'passed down', and ever since, has been a rock for him. A bodyguard, a teammate, a friend. And even right now, Wolf was Jace's eyes and ears on the ship, wirelessly connecting to all of the ship's systems at will for any purpose. Jace smiled and thanked the universe that he had found the damaged being when he did. "All fighter systems ready for launch upon pilot readiness." "Thank you, Wolf," Jace said, patting its head. As he turned back to the rest of the bridge, Katlyn spoke up. "Exiting hyperspace in 3...2...1..." The Jericho dropped in the star system, the Salarian colony right ahead of them. Quick intakes of breath and gasps were quickly followed by dead silence, no words being spoken among the crew. Again, Jace's comlink broke the silence. "Jace, open the hanger bay doors so we can launch. Jace?" Katalena asked, to no avail. "Well good god," Ryan said, standing up straight and looking out of the bridge's window. "Jace? Jace, what's going on?" Katalena asked again. This time, Jace raised his comlink to his mouth, continuing to stare outside. "Tell Morri I'm sorry, but her first combat mission with us is going to have to wait...we have an issue..." Outside, the once vibrant planet now glowed orange and yellow, the sight of liquid rock covering its surface. Chapter 3: Engagement ''One Hour Later, Communications Relay, 3rd Level Crew Deck, ''Jericho The screen finally flashed green, signaling the completion of its calibrations. Morrigan smiled as she laid in her hammock, the datapad in her hands now synced up to the ''Jericho's comm relay. Everything coming into and leaving through the relay she now had access to. Decrypting some of the more secure data packages would be another issue, but this was a start for her entertainment needs. A knock at the door stole her attention. She laid the datapad down and opened a portal through the door, allowing the guest to enter. "Come on in," she called, sitting more upright. Ducking under the portal's top was her father, still in his gear from the botched mission earlier in the day. His helmet dangled down, attached to the back of his belt. "Didn't feel like opening it up?" he asked as Morrigan closed the portal behind him. "Nah, just noisy. Its annoying," she deadpanned. "What's up?" "Just coming down to check on you, see ship life is treating you so far." "Failed missions aside, I can't complain. Feels nice to be helping at least," Morrigan said, standing up to properly converse with Ryan. "I can imagine. You were kind of forced out when you had Arya," Ryan said, leaning against one of the consoles in the room as Morrigan shrugged. "Not really. I'd retired before she came around." "Mor'ika," Ryan sighed, "when you get to be my age, you realize there won't be any type of 'retirement' for people like us. Something always drags us back into the fight. Life finds a way." "I think I might be realizing that now, to be honest," she responded, an eerie mood quickly engulfing the room. "It has its advantages, realizing that. Helps you appreciate the little moments in life that'll always be there in your mind," Ryan said, his eyes starting to look off into the distance. "Any examples?" "The view you get after a storm, when everything is calm and peaceful. Jokes or anything that makes you smile a bit... Seeing family again." Ryan's gaze finally returned to Morrigan as he finished talking, seeing her smile back. "Well, we're both gonna have to make the most of it when we get back and see Arya. Odds are she's gonna kill us both for running off." "She's what, 17?" Ryan asked while laughing. "I hate to say it, but she's probably doing something crazy and not missing us too much. Teenagers are nuts." His laughter calmed down, replaced by creaking within the ceiling above them. The pair ignored it, absentmindedly. "When I was her age I'd moved out, so that's fair," Morrigan conceded as the two thought back to her childhood. "Well, that's because I wasn't a tenth of the parent you are on your worst days." "I still turned out mostly alright." "I'd say a bit better than that, kid," said Ryan, patting his daughter on the shoulder. "Don't get too proud, I'm still just as prone to dooming us all," she said, shrugging off the praise. "It'll take more than you to do that," Ryan shot back, pushing off of the console that had supported his weight. "Come on, Jace asked if the two of us wanted to spar a bit. I need you to take my spot once you carry me to the medbay. This has heart attack written all over it." "You're both going down, just warning you now," Morrigan said with a smile, the pair leaving the room to find Jace. "He said he was going to be in here," Ryan said as the door opened to the starboard observation deck. Heat rushed out into the hallway. Morrigan immediately felt the humidity against her skin as they walked in. The room's furniture had been pushed off to the side, opening up the entire floor space. In the middle of the room stood Jace, going through practice motions with his lightsaber pike ignited. His black armor and bodysuit still covered his lower body, but his shirt and chest armor sat next to the wall spamming window behind him. He glanced over, deactivating his weapon and allowing an embarrassed smile to cross his face. "Sorry guys, I figured you'd be longer," he said, folding up the pike and laying it next to his other weapons. "So much for staying ready. Kata's running around helping god knows who and you're doing some weird shirtless Jedi yoga?" Morrigan joked, shaking her head at her longtime friend. "It could be worse." "How?" "I don't still owe you a hot tub," Jace shot back, smiling. While Morrigan's eyes narrowed as she glared at him, Jace picked up the upper part of his bodysuit, sliding his arms into it. "I didn't know you had any tattoos, Jace," Ryan commented before Jace could pull the body suit on. "Huh? Oh, they are just some, ahem, graduation ones," Jace said, taking his right arm out of the sleeve to point at his left pectoral. "N7 insignia. Consumed a little bit too much alien alcohol after finishing the Citadel Federation's N7 program." "What about the arms?" "Both UNSC. This one's the Helljumper logo after a couple weeks with the ODST teams," Jace said, motioning to his upper left bicep. "And this one, this one was for stupidly trying to hang with some SPARTAN-IV teams for about a month and a half," he said, turning to show his right arm. "Turns out hanging with one SPARTAN in Sam isn't too bad for me, two if you could Shepard, but eight? No, they become exponentially crazier when they get in groups." Jace slid the bodysuit back over his head, straightening it out over his body. "Kata's told me about them, but I've never actually seen them," Morrigan added, stretching her legs out onto the pushed away couch. "Yeah yeah. They're all just Special Ops things I did. Notice a pattern?" Jace joked. "Anyways, you two come here to talk or to spar a bit?" "Oh, I came here to kick both of your lazy asses," Morrigan said as she jumped back up. It wasn't long before the three were taking turns pairing off and throwing punches, kicks, throws, and everything in between at one another. Never trying to hurt their opponents, the three were soon far more interested in helping the others improve where they saw flaws in techniques and clunks in talents. Time passed them by quickly, eventually leading to Ryan leaving the two younger relatives to take shots at one another once more. A final mock duel broke out, with the two hybrids throwing all they had at one another, enjoying the competition between the two of them. Category:Stories Category:Tandem Stories